


A Constellation Blooms Between Us

by kazul9



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hanahaki Disease, Happy Ending, M/M, Magic, Prince Katsuki Yuuri, Royalty, Science Fiction, With a twist!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25499500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazul9/pseuds/kazul9
Summary: Yuuri’s the prince of a small planet, and Victor’s simply a visitor—until he becomes more.And then less.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Comments: 52
Kudos: 214
Collections: Majesties: The Yuri!!! on Ice Royalty Zine





	A Constellation Blooms Between Us

**Then**

Yuuri wouldn’t say that he’s _avoiding_ the delegation from the next solar system over, it’s more that he’s making a tactical retreat for a few minutes to formulate a plan.

All the way on the other side of the palace.

Hidden deep in the maze-like paths of the royal gardens.

Without saying a word to anyone about where he’s going.

It’s _fine_.

He sucks in a shaking breath, running his hand along the pale petals of a lilac blossom, releasing the delicate, floral scent of it into the air… before the leaves of the plant move and reach for him.

The delegation doesn’t have royalty quite like Yuuri’s planet does. They have leaders that have proven themselves through trials, scientists who have made innovations beyond imagining, warriors that have ended interplanetary wars, and one of their pilots is the best the galaxy has ever seen. He’s gone farther and done more than anyone before him.

Yuuri’s never left his home planet. He can’t.

The planet and all that lives on it chose _Yuuri_ of all people to lead them, after his mother—the planet’s current chosen—retires. The plants reach for him, the animals listen to him; even Vicchan, stubborn old poodle that he is. Even now the wisteria on the other side of the walkway unfurls for him.

He chuckles as he turns to admire it—and freezes.

There’s a man standing in the path, long silver hair tied in an intricate braid that hangs over his shoulder, his gaze absolutely and unwaveringly on Yuuri.

“Um, excuse me?” Yuuri squeaks, taking a step back.

“Oh!” The man blinks, his eyes the most vibrant blue Yuuri’s ever seen. “Sorry, I didn’t know the people here could do that.”

“N-not all of them can?” Yuuri frowns, looking the man over again. He’s dressed in a simple, magenta outfit—probably a minor member of the visiting delegation, considering Yuuri knows all his own people in the castle.

And this should make who Yuuri is _beyond_ obvious. His indigo suit is made of fine fabrics and embroidered with intricate designs—not to mention the fleur-de-lis of the royal family on his back—and the circlet on his head is obvious.

But the man doesn’t look at him with calculating or hungry eyes. In fact, his face spreads into a heart-shaped grin, the widest that Yuuri’s ever seen. “I’m Victor, what’s your name?”

Yuuri can’t help the small smile spreading across his lips in response.

“I’m Yuuri.”

There’s no reason he needs to know that he’s _Katsuki_ Yuuri, right?

Right.

**Now**

It isn’t a long meeting, but it _feels_ like one.

Not that it’s particularly awful in subject—it’s a bland recap of the delegation’s visit, of all the documents signed and trade agreements that they’ll have to honor. It’s full of people he’s known and worked with his whole life—Queen Hiroko is even here, so that Yuuri doesn’t have much to do other than support her.

No, it’s long because of the fluttering, roiling queasiness that has Yuuri sweating and shifting in his seat until he practically runs from the room when he’s dismissed. The tickling in his stomach crawls up his throat as he rushes through the hallways, ignoring the alarmed shouts of his friends and castle employees.

He’s heard about this, but it can’t be, it _can’t_ —

The door of his chambers barely slams shut behind him before the coughing starts and just won’t _stop_. He collapses to his knees as he gasps for air, spittle and flecks of blood splattering against his hands.

And then he hacks out something _more_.

It takes a moment for his eyes to stop watering and to catch his breath enough to understand what’s in his hands.

A white begonia.

_Shit_.

**Then**

Yuuri shouldn’t have agreed to meet this man again.

Or again after that

Or _again_ after _that_.

But Victor keeps asking for Yuuri’s time week after week, then month after month as the negotiations drag on, and Yuuri keeps saying yes. And if it gives Yuuri a chance to escape some of his duties from time to time? Perfect.

Mari teases Yuuri about often he’s sneaking around, but he can’t help it. He doesn’t want to hide Victor, but he _does_ want to hide that he’s a prince.

It’s not logical, he knows that. Yuuri has no idea how he’s managed to avoid Victor in the talks and events so far, whatever role the man plays. Yuuri just… he likes that Victor doesn’t treat him special. Victor enjoys how Yuuri can talk with the animals and interact with the plants, but he likes talking to Yuuri because he’s _Yuuri_ in a way that no one else has since the planet chose him to succeed his mother.

And… he doesn’t want Victor to be disappointed that Yuuri’s just a lowly prince of a small planet that he can’t ever leave.

Yuuri sighs as he winds through the curving paths of the garden. It doesn’t matter. Victor will leave, and—

“There you are, Yuuri!”

Yuuri glances up to see a wide smile that makes his heart beat double-time.

Victor nearly skips across the small clearing over to him. “Here, for you.”

Victor reaches out slowly, almost cautiously, to place a pearly white begonia into the buttonhole of the simple shirt Yuuri’s wearing. And… he doesn’t back away. Victor stays in Yuuri’s space, blue eyes alight and unwavering from Yuuri, his smile so earnest.

Yuuri clears his throat, glancing away before he does something stupid. “Um, thank you.”

Victor winks, a motion so familiar that Yuuri doesn’t have to look at him to recognize it. “Of course! A beautiful flower for a beautiful man.”

Yuuri’s cheeks _burn_ , and he takes a step back. The compliment doesn’t mean anything. Victor’s been friendly and like _this_ since the beginning, but something about it stabs Yuuri through the chest. He squeezes his eyes shut. “Don’t tease me like that.”

“Like what?” The humor’s left Victor’s voice, leaving behind something foreign and cold.

“L-like you’re flirting?” Yuuri flinches at the uncertainty of his own words, but he can’t look and see how Victor takes them. It’s as good as a confession, heavens help him.

“But _Yuuri_ , I am flirting!” Yuuri’s eyes snap open in time to catch a pout on Victor’s lips. “I’ve been flirting with you for months. Was I that obtuse?”

“Um.” Yuuri blinks up at Victor, looking for any sign that this is him teasing, but… “O-oh. I thought… you were just friendly?”

“Yuuri.” Victor chuckles and leans down, resting his forehead against Yuuri’s.

He says Yuuri’s name so often, and it sends a thrill through him every time. Not “Prince Katsuki” or “Your Highness.” To Victor, he’s “Yuuri” and he’d be happy to stay that way forever. Just Victor’s Yuuri.

And… apparently Victor might like that, too?

Yuuri glances up at him through his lashes. “Victor? Can I kiss you?”

“Please,” Victor breathes, his eyes fluttering shut as Yuuri leans in and presses his lips to Victor’s.

He’s so _warm_ , his skin, his breath, and it makes Yuuri tremble. He reaches out and wraps his arms around Victor’s waist, tugging him closer as the warmth spreads, tingling from his lips down to his fingers and his toes. It’s like he’s flying yet more grounded than he’s ever been before, and he _wants this_. More than he’s ever wanted anything; more than he’s dreamed of leaving the planet, of being someone normal, of having the time and freedom to pursue what he thought he might love and want.

This is what he wants.

This is what he loves.

And that means telling Victor who he really is.

**Now**

It’s not like Yuuri doesn’t catch the concerned glances of his family, he just… He lets them believe he’s only sad because Victor left. Not the real reason. He doesn’t even know how to deal with the real reason, and he can’t imagine making his family worry about him even more.

He stumbles down the hallway, stomach churning as he fights the flowers back down. He’s _so close_ to his room—

“Yuuri?”

Yuuri spins around and the movement is too much, the petals tickling and prickling up his throat until he’s coughing, leaning against a wall for support as his palms fill with dandelions.

It takes a moment for him to catch his breath, and then another passes before he looks up at Minako and Mari.

Minako’s mouth hangs open in a way that’s almost disarming—Minako’s always controlled, collected. She’s the Katsuki’s most trusted advisor for a reason, after all. But Mari scowls, brow furrowed and eyes burning.

“Is it Victor?” Mari snaps, crossing her arms. “Victor gave you hanahaki?”

Yuuri winces. “V-Victor? I don’t—”

“Don’t lie, Yuuri.” Minako recovers enough to frown, narrowing her eyes. “You aren’t exactly subtle.”

“What happened?” Mari takes a step closer, but she doesn’t reach out—she knows her brother enough to know he doesn’t want to be touched like this.

Yuuri’s eyes burn with tears as bitter regret settles into his stomach and fills the emptiness that the flowers left. “It wasn’t Victor, it was me.”

“That _is_ how it works, I’m well aware.” Minako sighs. “The planet doesn’t like those who hurt others.”

Yuuri closes his eyes, but it doesn’t stop the tears. Hanahaki is how the planet deals with leaders who break the heart of its people. The life that filters through them begins to take root inside the body, eating away at the recipient as the flowers remind them that they screwed up, that they have to make it better. And if they don’t, well…

The planet gives life, and it takes it away.

It’s been _centuries_ since any royals have had hanahaki. Of course it’s Yuuri who screws up this much. Victor isn’t even a citizen, but Yuuri apparently hurt him enough that it doesn’t matter.

“I… I messed it up.” Yuuri gasps in a breath, biting back a sob. “Everything’s ruined, and I’m the one who ruined it.”

“Then fix it.”

Yuuri tries to blink away his tears, staring up at Mari. “What?”

Mari gives a small smile. “The Katsuki Yuuri I know won’t just sit back and let heartache destroy him.”

“But I… I’m not enough.” How can they not see this? They know him, they’ve seen how he’s avoided conflict, even avoided his duties because he’s _weak_. He’s just waiting for the planet to realize its mistake.

“Then _be_ enough.” Minako gives him a soft pat on the back. “The only one who thinks you aren’t is you.”

“That’s not true,” he whispers, Victor’s last words to him echoing around his head.

“Bro, you aren’t listening.” Mari rolls her eyes. “Be the person you want to be and _fix_ this mess.”

“It’s not that simple.” Yuuri frowns.

“Yeah. It is.” Minako holds out a hand. “And we’ll help you get there.”

**Then**

“Tomorrow?” Yuuri can’t look away from Victor, and Victor can’t seem to either. “Can’t you…?”

He doesn’t know what he should suggest. Should Victor stay? Should Yuuri walk away before he starts begging?

“I…” Victor clears his throat. “Yuuri, I should probably tell you something.”

Yuuri tenses, but nods, resisting the urge to reach out to Victor.

“You’ve heard of the pilot that has explored the known galaxy? Who’s mapped the stars?” Victor reaches out to Yuuri taking his hands in his own as they begin to tremble.

Yuuri doesn’t trust his voice, simply nodding.

“I… that’s me.” Victor glances away, the fringe of his bangs hiding most of his face. “I thought I could find the universe’s secrets, be a name and a face that everyone would remember, and I _did_ that. I enjoyed it. But now I’ve stopped and…”

Now Victor’s had a break, and he’s ready to head back into the great unknown. And Yuuri can’t follow.

“I’ll stay.” Victor looks at Yuuri, eyes so clear and so beautiful. “For you.”

“No.” Yuuri’s heartbeat is too loud in his ears, his breaths too shallow. He can’t keep Victor here. He won’t. Not for someone like _Yuuri_. “No, you can’t.”

“Yuuri…” Victor squeezes Yuuri’s hand so tight it’s almost painful. “Why?”

“I’m… It’s just…” Yuuri bites his lip. “I’m the prince. It’s… we’re not the same.” The prince of a lonely, small planet can’t keep Victor, not when he has all of the known and unknown universe to explore. “Let’s end this.”

Victor winces, as if slapped. “Ah. I… I see.” He clears his throat, eyes averted. “Then I’ll take my leave, Your Highness.”

But Victor doesn’t leave, not right away. He hesitates before he stands, then presses a soft, gentle kiss to Yuuri’s forehead and…

He’s gone.

**Now**

“Yuuri, you have a guest!”

Yuuri bites his tongue against the urge to immediately send them away. He’s spent the past two months stepping into the role that everyone but him thought he could bear, well…

He’s done it.

And he knows that if Yuuko’s come to get him this late, it’s important. Even if exhaustion makes it so he can barely focus on paperwork, much less anything else. His sickness was terrible today, but he couldn’t skip any meetings. He was constantly stepping out to dispose of the flowers.

His immediate friends and family know, but if the rest of the government finds out what he’s done…

“They’re in the main hall.” Yuuko gestures in that direction, as if Yuuri doesn’t know where it is. “They didn’t want to sit down.”

Yuuri frowns, but nods as he walks past her and away. How stubborn would someone have to be—

A man stands illuminated in a halo of the golden light of the setting sun, and Yuuri doesn’t need him to turn to know who it is.

Victor.

Yuuri’s stomach _heaves,_ throat burning as petals and leaves force their way from his body with a violence that he’s never felt before. The room swims, and the next thing he knows he’s on his hands and knees in front of a pile of deep purple hyacinths…

And Victor’s knelt in front of him.

“The rumors are true?” Victor gapes, eyes wide. “ _I_ did this to you?”

Yuuri scrambles to his feet, but doesn’t back away. He’d been _so careful_ that no one heard, how did news spread? He shakes his head. “No, I did this to me.”

“But I’m the one who—“

Before he really thinks about it, Yuuri reaches out and places a finger over Victor’s lips. “I should have told you I was a prince sooner. I know I’m not good at my position, and I knew telling you would disappoint you—and I was right.”

Victor gently tugs Yuuri’s hand away with both of his, and doesn’t let go. “But Yuuri, I always knew you were the prince.”

Yuuri’s mouth falls open. “You _what_?”

“I knew you were the prince, and I loved you anyway because you treated me like I was _human_.” Victor’s eyes are so wide and honest, it’s hard not to believe him.

Yuuri’s brow furrows. “But you _are_ human. Right?” It’s not as if they’ve found other intelligent life in the galaxy. They’ve just adapted to planets—or in the case of Yuuri’s home, the planets have adapted to humans.

Victor laughs. “Yes, as human as they come. But, now…” He glances down at the purple flowers surrounding them. “How do we break this?”

“I don’t… I’m not sure?” Yuuri glances around, as if the walls hold any sort of answer. “A grand gesture of forgiveness, I think. Maybe a kiss? Or something more dramatic… like getting married?”

It takes a second before his words catch up with him, then he yanks his hands from Victor’s grip and slaps them over his mouth. Of all the ridiculous—

“Yuuri, are you proposing?” Victor’s smile is so, so wide, his eyes glittering in the lights of the floral-shaped chandeliers.

Yuuri sucks in a breath. “Do you _want_ to get married?”

“I think…” Victor reaches out to tuck a stray hair behind Yuuri’s ear. “I think that spending the rest of my life here with you is what I want.”

“But if you marry me, you’ll be tied down!” Yuuri takes a step back. “I can’t leave the planet, and as my husband you’ll have responsibilities, and…”

Victor follows Yuuri, taking a step forward. “I’ve searched the galaxy over for happiness, and I’ve found it here, Yuuri. My love and life are with you.” He takes a shaking breath. “I thought you sent me away because you were the prince—and you did, I suppose. But I thought you meant _I_ wasn’t enough.”

“Victor, that’s not—”

“I know that, now.” Victor gives a smile, but it’s dim compared to the brilliance that it was. “But I went home and I knew what I had to do. I finally advanced the up ladder of ranks like my superiors had wanted for years. I used my accolades and discoveries to make myself a small lord of my solar system.”

Yuuri blinks. “That’s… wow.”

“I even own a moon, now.” Victor winks. “And I… I hope that’s enough for you.”

Now it’s Yuuri’s turn to reach out and take hold of Victor’s hands. “You’re enough Victor.”

“And so are you.” Victor leans in, his forehead against Yuuri’s, and he can’t help remember that first kiss. It wasn’t as long ago as it feels, but it’s still been far too long without the warmth of Victor in his life. And there wasn’t even a _reason_ to have gone so long without it.

Yuuri laughs, actually smiling for the first time since Victor left. “We’re fools, aren’t we?”

“But we can be fools together.” Victor grins, a small, secretive thing. “For the rest of our lives.”

Tears burn at Yuuri’s eyes as he beams. “I’d like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, I finally get to post this over here!!! :D I remember that I was REALLY hoping to get into this zine because I really wanted to write this piece! And then to my total shock, I got in?!?! It was an amazing project to work on, honestly!!! Though I wrote this so long ago I basically remember none of it haha
> 
> Still! I hope you guys enjoy! <3
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Kazul9) | [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/Kazul9) | [Tumblr](https://kazul9.tumblr.com/) | [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.social/kazul9)


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